Maureen Ferrier

BID St Andrews is launching a new ‘Clean and Green’ initiative for levy-payers and the town – The St Andrews Green Squad.

The project, partly funded by a grant won by BID St Andrews, will employ a supervisor to train and lead a small team of volunteers, including youngsters seeking employability skills, to deliver a range of agreed environmental projects within the BID’s area, covering the town centre, harbour and East Sands.

Alistair Lang, Chair of BID St Andrews.

BID St Andrews will lead the project in partnership with the St Andrews Environmental Network (StAndEN). The squad will work on specific tidy up initiatives, working with other volunteer organisations active within the BID area, including St Andrews in Bloom and Zero Waste Scotland’s volunteer co-ordinator.

In addition, the squad will be tasked with footpath weed removal, student collections – collecting unwanted items from student accommodation to ensure efficient, safe and environmentally sound disposal or recycling – and town centre inspections, including liaising with businesses to assess local business energy efficiency.

BID St Andrews chairman, Alistair Lang, explained: “Clean and Green initiatives, which improve the town for residents and visitors alike, are a core part of the BID Business Plan because they were requested by businesses in the consultations undertaken during the BID application phase.

“The consultations identified the importance of the town’s appearance and the need to maintain high environmental standards.

“There are many other, smaller, initiatives and tasks which will fall under the Green Squad’s remit,” he continued, “some will be pilot schemes to look at new and improved ways of collecting waste as well as general improvement of our streets and public spaces – for the benefit of all.

“Because St Andrews is a major Scottish tourist destination we play a vital role not just in Fife’s economic future, but in Scotland’s. So the positive impacts this initiative will have will spread well beyond simply making St Andrews a nicer place to visit and live.”

StAndEN Chairman Ronnie Murphy added: “We’re delighted this partnership with BID St Andrews is allowing us both to fulfil some of the shared goals we have as well as delivering one of the key ‘Clean & Green’ elements of the BID Business Plan.”

StAndEN is a community-led energy-saving project, originally set up by the town’s community council in 2010, becoming a charity four years later.

Its goal is to reduce energy use and associated CO2 emissions across St Andrews and surrounding areas by offering honest and well-informed advice.